Why NFL moved Eagles vs. Bengals in Week 8

The Cincinnati Bengals will revert back to a normal 1 p.m. ET timeslot in Week 8 after the NFL flexed the team’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Originally, the Bengals were going to host the Eagles at a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote that the game “will now be at 1 pm, going to 70% of the country. Much greater distribution for the white out.”

And while true, the Bengals have greatly underwhelmed at 2-4 and so have the 3-2 Eagles. The early slot might have a “bigger” audience, but the two teams were knocked aside for the Bears vs. Commanders matchup — which features No. 1 pick Caleb Williams vs. No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels and teams with 4-2 records.

We’re not that far removed from those in charge of the NFL schedule saying that the late-afternoon timeslot is essentially considered a primetime slot in its own right because of the lack of competition in the window.

Now, the Bengals are being moved out of it. If they don’t keep winning, this won’t be the only game that gets flexed on the rest of the schedule.